Advanced, specialized modern health care provided under the doctor/disease-oriented system (DOS) has a variety of problems. Responding to these problems, however, there has been a shift from the DOS to the patient/problem-oriented system (POS) in recent years. In this system, physicians work in close collaboration with a wide range of medical professionals, such as nurses, public health nurses, pharmacists, radiological technologists, medical technologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, nutritionists, and hospital staff, to address the physical and mental conditions of patients as well as their social background in a comprehensive manner.

Multidisciplinary care or interprofessional work (IPW) is the key to the POS system, but it has recently been introduced into Japan. We do not have a well-established system for IPW, or sufficient knowledge and techniques. For its establishment, Gunma University has provided the education on the knowledge and skills required in IPW as well as its importance. Furthermore, it is necessary to promote the education on IPW by developing nationwide information networks among medical educational facilities, and working together with advanced international networks, including the EIPEN (European Interprofessional Education Network), CAIPE (UK Center for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education Network), and InterEd in Europe.

Our project, adopted by “the Support Program for Distinctive University Education” (GP), is designed to create effective networks for the education that will contribute to the establishment of IPW in Japan.